twist to the isekai/rpg turned real plot
MC is a lonely 30's age male who is introverted and spends his free time playing games especially fantasy RPGs on computer / console. No social life, absolutely avg across the board physically/mentally, but lacks confidence which feeds his introverted nature.
One day he gets a new RPG to play and starts to load it up on his computer. Just as he is finishing creating his character, lightning hits his house and, due to faulty shortage protection, he gets mildly electrocuted. No damage physically/mentally just a painful shock and a full-body tingling that goes away after a few hours. His game system isnt damaged but the faulty surge protector is fried. After replacing it, he starts to play the game.
He is always one that likes to take his time to fully explore a new RPG and so is always slow and careful about building his characters up and ensuring they are more than ready for any situations he puts them in.
This is a good thing because he starts to realize that he is now linked to his character...any change made to his character stats affect him in the real world. So when his character receives a boost to strength, his real body does as well... speed, agility, intelligence, stamina...all appear to be linked as well. Even being wounded in game affects his real life body... not with the wounds themselves but body weakness for low health, high damage to specific limbs make them either extremely weak or totally numb until he gets his character healed, etc.
After realizing this, he is even more cautious building his character but also experiments with different gear builds to highlight specific stat increases when he feels he needs the advantage in real life (ie gear-loading with high intelligence boosting gear when needing to analyze situations, etc).
In past stories, the MC is drawn into the fantasy world and the story is about their actions there...I am thinking of a story where the fantasy world is still just a game...but due to the linked effect the MC changes in the real world and thus has an ongoing effect on his entire life. The closest to this twist I have read is Shaddoth's Axeman and Girvan's portals stories set in Shaddoth's Axeman's world.
This idea would be different for several reasons:
1) MC is not placed in danger/ doesnt have to physically go into the dungeons to clear them (its a game)
2) the MC is the only one affected
3) No one knows but eventually the changes the MC goes through is noticed
4) Nothing can be "brought back" as it is just a game whose only RL effect is the linkage between the character's stats and the MC's RL body.
So if anyone feels like taking this idea and fleshing it out into a real story/book....go for it with my blessings.